The popular game of Bingo wherein a group of players place indicators at specific locations on a graduated board in response to orders called out by the game operator until a predetermined pattern is formed, whereupon the first to form said pattern is the winner, has been well known for many years. Numerous devices have been made and used to facilitate the playing of this game, particularly in large groups at church organizations, clubs and parties. These have taken the form of electrically lighted and actuated devices in some cases to actually play the game itself and in other to merely assist in the game. The prior art as presently known to the applicant is set forth briefly below.
Peak, U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,619. Peak is, among other things, an apparatus comprising an electrical panel on which are positioned the 25 lights corresponding to a Bingo board, each light being actuated by a separate switch as the numbers and letters are called out so that the electrically lighted board itself takes the place of the conventional Bingo board and the overall device actually comprises a game in itself.
Hofsetz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,434 teaches a device which automatically mixes and delivers in succession balls containing the Bingo letter and number to the person running the game who in turn calls it out for the players to position upon their board as the game progresses.
Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,040 teaches a very sophisticated and highly automatized, coin operated Bingo game and also provides what amounts to a complete method of playing the game.
Pawelka, U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,529 teaches a game board equipped with electrical switching devices which in combination with the other elements disclosed makes possible an automatic, or at least a semi-automatic, method of playing the game.
Goloborodko, U.S. Pat. No. 2,333,002 teaches light display boards wherein the numbered lights are actuated by a rotating switch which in turn is operated in the manner of any other gambling wheel but causes the lights to show on the display boards for the benefit of the players.
As is evident from the above brief summaries that all of this art is concerned with a game itself, or a method of playing a game such as Bingo. None of the devices known to applicant are designed or constructed as an aid or guide to a Bingo game played in the usual manner with ordinary Bingo playing equipment.
It is also evident that electrical lighting equipment may be used to display Bingo designs to players by actuating a large number of switches to correspond with the lights it is desired to illuminate in accordance with the design for the particular game being played. Such a procedure however, is complicated and cumbersome and offers no advantage to the person operating the game.